The atmosphere in the festive palace as Professor Iris disappeared along with the black feline was rigid. The Guests at the royal palace stood absolutely stunned, speechless at the things that just transcribed.
And just as the guests, Hubert and Huges also stood amazed at the feats of their own sons; they couldn't believe that the son who had just seemed average three months back now seemed this incredible. While a child would always look incredible to their parents, today it was different. Hubert and Sears felt very proud to be standing behind their son. It was a feeling that only parents could feel, and they were overwhelmed by a mix of emotions.
They didn't know what to feel at all. The surroundings were charged with a unique blend of astonishment, pride, and disbelief. The grand hall of the royal palace, adorned with opulent decorations, echoed with whispers and hushed conversations as the guests tried to process the unexpected turn of events. The air was heavy with anticipation and curiosity about what would unfold next.
Noticing the rigid environment, the emperor decided to step in himself. He signaled to Dooth, who was standing some distance away from the emperor. Dooth, the emperor's messenger, noticed the emperor's signal and came forward, his eyes reflecting concern for the current situation.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," he said, drawing the attention of the guests. "As you may already be aware, recently, the empire faced an unfortunate terror attack."
It was no new matter for everyone gathered there. All of them had been informed about the terror attack that had happened at the royal palace and the information that the ones behind it were none other than the rebels.
"Today we have gathered here to mourn the noble sacrifice of our soldiers and their incredible courage to fight against the rebels," the royal messenger proclaimed, trying to uplift the somber mood. The emperor, while trying to maintain his composure, couldn't hide the embarrassment they felt for allowing an attack to happen at the heart of the empire, which was quite shameful for them.
"Now the rewarding ceremony will begin," Dooth declared, attempting to steer the focus away from the unfortunate event and toward the recognition of bravery and heroism.
Anyway, with the announcement from Dooth, the rewarding ceremony for the brave soldiers began. The atmosphere turned solemn as Dooth's announcement rang out through the hall. The awardees, including Eren, who had been previously informed to be ready, prepared to receive the honors with grace.
Yes, you heard that right. As the awardees had even some commenters, rehearsal was made to teach how to act dignified during the awarding ceremony. It was quite a silly thing, yet everyone had to follow nevertheless. It was crucial to present the proper demeanor in front of the emperor and the esteemed guests, emphasizing the significance of the awards being bestowed upon them.
One by one, the names of the important soldiers and the students who fought on the front lines were called, and they went up to the stage, kneeled in front of the emperor to receive their rewards. The first reward was that they were granted the title of Banneret, an esteemed honor just below that of a baron. Having this title made them eligible to have their own small troops of less than 100 people, and they would be officially recognized as a troop if they applied for verification.
Having the title of Banneret was the minimum qualification to apply for troop verification, where the troop member's background, power level, and various other information would be verified. It was a significant step towards further recognition and responsibility within the empire's military ranks.
Then the second reward was Money! Each of the awardees was presented with a platinum coin, considered very rare, from the emperor himself. The shimmering coins held not just a monetary value but also symbolized the emperor's acknowledgment and gratitude for their courage and dedication.
Among the thirty to thirty-five selected awardees who fought against the rebels were prominent figures like Professor Joshua, Instructor Isabella, the commander of the first division of the imperial army, Evan D Sheldon, and other renowned individuals like Zephyr, Babel von Agnus, Julia Von Rozental, Luna Primrose, and Eren, all of whom had played crucial roles in the defense of the empire.
As each name was called and each reward conferred, the festive palace transformed into a hall of valor and pride. The surroundings buzzed with appreciation, and the tension from earlier gave way to admiration and celebration, proving that even in the face of adversity, the spirit of the empire's brave soldiers and their unwavering determination would prevail.
One more thing to notice about the rewarding ceremony was that every other soldier and other students beside those who were majorly active were given 10,000 gilds separately.
But there was one more surprising fact: Ezio, who was definitely more active, was not included in the list of awardees, which surprised Eren very much.
Although Eren was daily aware of the reason, he chose to keep his thoughts and doubts to himself. After all, nothing good comes from involving himself in such matters. The situation seemed complicated, and he wasn't sure if there was any hidden politics or personal grudges behind Ezio's omission from the awardees.
Anyway, firstly, it was the commander of the first division and some soldiers who received the rewards from the emperor. After some time, Dooth announced the start of the award ceremony for the students of Ferejlord academy.
"By risking their lives to stop the rebels, the students have shown incredible courage and patriotism towards the empire… This commendation proves their excellent service for the good of the society and their exemplary behavior would motivate the others. Now, I would like to call upon the stage Miss Isabella along with the brave students of the Freljord academy who have shown remarkable courage in the incident at the Freljord academy."
The award ceremony for everyone except for Professor Lloyd and Eren took place at once, and they were all given the same reward as that of the soldiers. The atmosphere was filled with excitement and gratitude as the brave students received their well-deserved recognition.
One by one, they received the rewards, bowed to the emperor, and left. And once the last student received the award, the messenger started to speak once again.
"Now, we will reward those two important figures, without whom the royal museum may very well be in ruins today. Please give a round of applause for Mr. Lloyd Frontera and Eren Pendragon, the young man from the Freljord academy."
With their names being called out, Professor Lloyd, along with Eren, climbed the steps towards the emperor and arrived in front of him. Cheers rang out from behind as the two stood before the emperor.
The Emperor looked at Eren for a moment before his attention was drawn towards Lloyd Frontera. Without fear, Professor Lloyd looked the emperor in the eyes. Most people in the festive palace knew that the emperor and Professor Lloyd didn't like each other that much. It was inevitable since all of them were aware of what had happened to the Frontera Family after Kaiser Von Brittan rose to the throne.
No words were exchanged between the two people as they stared at each other, while Eren stood confused by the long silence. Then the emperor himself broke the ice.
"On this occasion, it gives me immense pleasure to announce that the Mauryan empire has been blessed by another archmage."
The Emperor's words contained an underlying tension that Eren could sense. It seemed like there was more to the emperor's announcement than met the eye.
"I am delighted to announce Baron Lloyd Frontera as the 12th archmage of the Mauryan empire."
With the emperor's proclamation, applause broke out, filling the hall with appreciation and awe. Professor Lloyd was not only the 12th archmage of the Mauryan empire but also the youngest archmage in the whole eastern continent. It was a moment that made the students of the academy look up to their Instructor with shining eyes, realizing the magnitude of his achievement.
Anyway, soon in the midst of the cheering, the emperor took the emblem containing eight stars from the servant who respectfully provided it to the emperor while bowing his head. He stepped forward to pin it onto Professor Lloyd's shirt, a symbol of his new prestigious title.
"You have grown so much, Lloyd," the emperor said as he started pinning the emblem. "You know, I still remember the day when you hid behind your mother when I came to visit your father."
Professor Lloyd clenched his fist, but there was no subtle emotion on his face; he just stared forward without reacting. The emperor's words seemed to carry a mix of reminiscence and provocation, and Eren could feel the tension in the air.
"Your father was a 'brave' man," the emperor continued, getting close to Lloyd's ear and whispering, "Foolishly brave, I hope his son wouldn't be like that."
Eren watched the interaction between the two but he didn't get to listen to what the emperor told professor Llyod. But he noticed one thing, from the clenched fist of Professor Llyod, red blood was dripping down.
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